Objective To explore the value of 11C-choline PET/CT in patients with hepatic spaceoccupying lesions that have an indeterminate diagnosis by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT. Methods A total of 25 liver masses in 20 patients with an indeterminate diagnosis based on 18F-FDG PET/CT were enrolled. Regional 11C-choline PET/CT scan was performed in all of the patients. Lesions with intense 11C-choline uptake were considered as positive. The semiquantitative maximum standardized uptake value(SUVmax) was measured and the tumor-to-liver (T/L) radioactivity ratio was calculated. The Mann-Whitney test,Kruskal-Wallis test and crosstabs x2-test were performed by using SPSS version 11.5. Results Of the 25 lesions,21 were proven to be hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC),3 hemangiomas,and 1 parasitic granuloma. The sensitivity of 11C-choline PET/CT for the detection of HCC was 66.7% (14/21). 11C-choline PET/CT had a higher sensitivity for well differentiated HCC than moderately and poorly differentiated HCC on a patient basis (8/9 vs 2/5,respectively). There were significant differences of 11C-choline T/L ratios between the HCC positive group,HCC negative group and benign lesion group ( 1.70 ± 0.35,0.86 ± 0.15,and 0.36 ± 0.18,x2 = 19.00,P ＜0.01 ). The lesion size and alphafetoprotein (AFP) level between the HCC positive and negative groups had no significant difference respectively ( Mann Whitney U = 39.00,P ＞0.05,and U=16.00,P＞0.05,respectively). Conclusions 11C-choline is complementary to 18F-FDG PET/CT for the detection of HCC,especially for well differentiated HCC.

Aquilaria agallocha can produce fragrant agarwood used for incense, traditional medicine and other products. An efficient plant regeneration system was established via organogenesis from shoots developed from seedlings of Aquilaria agallocha. Shoots generated many buds on MS medium supplemented with 1.3 micromol/L BA (6-benzylaminopurine) in the first 7 weeks, and the buds elongated on MS medium with 1.3 micromol/L BA+0.5 micromol/L NAA (naphthaleneacetic acid) in another 7 weeks, 2.3 shoots 2 cm in length per explant were obtained within 14 weeks. Plantlets were rooted on 1/2 MS medium after being immersed in 5 micromol/L NAA for 48 h, 96.7% of the roots grew up two weeks later. All plantlets that survived acclimatization grew well in the pots.
Agriculture ; methods ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Forestry ; methods ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Growth Regulators ; metabolism ; Plant Shoots ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate ; Thymelaeaceae ; drug effects ; growth & development

As products of interaction of time and space, geoherbs, which are essential parts of Chinese Materia Medica, were characterized in different morphology, unique habitat, continuous and changeable sites. The main fields in molecular mechanism of geoherbs focus on: biodiversity and molecular identification, genetic different and evolutionary genetics, geo-variation and environmental adaptation, germplasm and aimed genus choosing, expression and control of functional gene, gene transfer and bio-safety evaluation. The main tasks are to discover the genetic variation at molecular level, ascertain the molecular characteristics of geoherbs and the effect of environment on gene expression of geoherbs, confirm the genetic factors attribute to the forming of geoherbs, and find out the genetic basis of geoherbs at individual level and population level, respectively. This paper pointed out that the essential of geoherbs is continuers quantities variation at population level, geoherb's populations are different in gene frequency with the others'; geohersm are quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlled by multi - gene or combination with multiple-gene and major gene at individual level. It is very important to pay more attention to the scale effect of geoherbs, refer the theories and methods of quantities genetic, and concern more about the interaction of environment and gene in geoherbs' molecular mechanism research.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Geography ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; growth & development ; Quantitative Trait Loci

Based on the outpatient interview and literature review,the initial framework of the outpatient experience of human caring scale was formed with 9 dimensions of outpatient process.The research aim was to improve the scale by Delphi method.Sixteen experts in medical management,human caring or medical education were invited to evaluate the importance of the dimensions and items of the scale and provided some expertise via filling out the Delphi consultation questionnaires twice in the consulting round.In the first round,the recovery rate showing the experts' positivity was 80％;the coefficient of reliability (Cr) ascertaining the authority of the evaluation was 0.92;the mean and full mark ratios responding the concentration of the evaluation were 2.88-4.94 and 6.25％-93.75％ respectively;the coefficients of variation (CV) and the Kendall's W determining the concordance of the evaluation were 5.06％-52.15％ and 0.21-0.24 respectively.In the second round,the recovery rate was 93.75％;the Cr was 0.93;the mean was 3.93-4.93;the full mark ratios were 26.67％-93.33％;the Kendall's W was 0.14-0.31,the CV was 5.25％-23.61％.Via the two-round Delphi study,the scale that included 10 dimensions and 61 items has been improved.Ten dimensions are pre-hospital medical service,guidance,registration,waiting,diagnosis & treatment,paying,inspection & assay,medicine receiving,therapy/injection/transfusion and global evaluation.It was concluded that Chinese scholars have paid high attention to human caring and outpatient experience.The experts have given high agreements about the dimensions which were established with Chinese outpatient process.The dimensions are different from the similar researches about outpatient experience study.In the future,it is necessary to survey the outpatients to test the construct validity,internal consistency reliability and others of the scale to improve the scale.

OBJECTIVETo explore a method which can remove the gastric mucus in order to prepare mucous membrane single cell suspension for the research of cytomics.

METHODSEnzymology was used to remove the mucus gel and to separate mucous layer from the normal fresh gastric tissue. The mucous layer was broken to prepare single cell suspension with machine method. Expression of major cyclins in mucous layer cells was examined by cytoimmunochemistry, flow cytometry(FCM) and confocal microscopy.

RESULTSThe 0.1% pepsin could dissolve the mucus gel and 1.2-2.4 U/L dispase could separate the mucous layer completely. The single mucous cell suspension was prepared successfully. FCM results from mucous single cell suspension revealed that expression of cyclin D(3), B(1) was obvious, that of cyclin D(2) was weak and that of cyclin D(1), A, E was the least. Similar results were found with confocal microscopy.

CONCLUSIONSSingle cell suspension from mucous layer can be easily prepared by pepsin and dispase. Cyclins schedule expression in vivo is different from cyclins schedule expression in vitro.

Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclins ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Gastric Mucins ; metabolism ; Gastric Mucosa ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; cytology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo describe the prevalence of anemia and yearly trends (1993-2003) among women who came to the hospitals or maternal and child health units for premarital examinations in 6 counties of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

METHODSData were obtained from the records of the premarital examinations in perinatal health care surveillance system that had been established since 1992 in these areas. We reviewed hemoglobin levels of those women who were enrolled in the perinatal health care surveillance system from 1993 to 2003. Anemia was defined according to the WHO (2001) criterion. We calculated the prevalence of anemia and analyzed the yearly trends based on the data of hemoglobin concentration.

RESULTSIn the period of 1993-2003, there were 82 995 anemia cases identified among 193,434 women with an overall anemia rate as 42.9%. The rates of anemia were high (65.5%) in 1993 but low (25.8%) in 2003. 99.7% of the anemic women whose hemoglobin concentration were between 80-119.9 g/L. Time trend analysis indicated a significant decline on anemia rate while monthly analysis showed that the prevalence rates were high (48.2%) in September and low in March (39.5%). The results also showed that the prevalence rates of anemia were relatively higher in farmers and workers in rural enterprises, and lower in Han ethnicity than minorities. The higher prevalence rates of anemia were presented among the women with less education, lower body mass index, or at older age.

CONCLUSIONFor those premarital women in 6 counties of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the overall anemic rate presented a significant downward trend between 1993 and 2003 while the prevalence of anemia remained high, especially for the women with less education, lower body mass index or older ages.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anemia ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Premarital Examinations ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate changes in serum complement, immunoglobulins and lymphocyte subsets in children with common and severe bronchial pneumonia, and the role of immune function testing in bronchial pneumonia.

METHODSTwenty children with common bronchial pneumonia, 20 with severe bronchial pneumonia and 20 healthy children (as controls) were enrolled in this study. Immunization rate scattering turbidimetry and six-color flow cytometry were used to detect changes in serum levels of IgA, IgG and IgM, complement C3 and C4 and CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD16(+), CD56(+) and CD19(+) cells.

RESULTSThe IgA levels of children with common and severe pneumonia were significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.05). The IgG level of children with severe pneumonia was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of IgM and complement C3 and C4 between the two pneumonia groups and the control group (P>0.05). Compared with the controls, the children with severe pneumonia showed significantly lower CD4(+) and CD3(+) counts (P<0.05) and a significantly higher CD19(+) count (P<0.05), and the CD16(+) and CD56(+) counts of children with severe pneumonia were significantly lower than in the controls and in children with common pneumonia (P<0.05). There were no differences in CD8(+) count and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio between the two pneumonia groups and the control group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSImmune dysfunction exists in children with bronchial pneumonia, especially those with severe pneumonia. Changes in immune function are correlated with the severity of pneumonia. Immune function testing in children with pneumonia has important clinical significance.

Bronchopneumonia ; immunology ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Infant ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Male ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo identify the mutational genotype of three Chinese families with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD: MIM#300100).

METHODSTotal RNA was extracted from the peripheral blood leukocytes of patients 1, 2 and the mother of patient 3, using RNA blood Mini kit (QIAGEN). After reverse transcription, cDNA was amplified in four overlapping segments. The PCR products were purified and directly sequenced. To confirm the mutations, the genomic DNA was isolated from the patients and their family members using DNA blood isolation kit (MO-BIO) and analyzed by PCR-restrictive digestion or amplification refractory mutation system.

RESULTSThree distinct mutations were detected in the ABCD1 gene of the three pedigrees. A mutation of CCC-->CGC was detected at codon 534 of the ABCD1 gene from patient 1, resulting in the arginine for proline substitution. A change of GGG-->AGG was found at codon 266 of the second patient's gene, accompanied with the replacement of glycine by arginine. A mutation of CGC-->GGC was found at codon 617 in one ABCD1 allele of the third patient's mother, leading to the glycine for arginine substitution. The three mutations were confirmed through restriction analysis or amplification refractory mutation system.

CONCLUSIONThree ABCD1 gene missense mutations were detected in three unrelated Chinese families with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, one of which, the mutation (P534R), is novel in Chinese with ALD, and the other two G266R and R617G mutations, have been reported outside China.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family D, Member 1 ; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters ; genetics ; Adrenoleukodystrophy ; genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Pedigree

OBJECTIVERetrospective study of the results of ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm insemination) with frozen sperm obtained by PESA (percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration) was performed in 27 patients.

METHODSWith conventional freezing method, sperm from diagnosing PESA and the remaining motile sperm after treating cycle were frozen. After frozen-thawed and ICSI process, fertilization rate, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate were compared and other outcomes including pregnant combinations and parameters of newborns of experimental group (which used frozen-thawed sperm) and control group (which used fresh PESA sperm) were analyzed respectively.

RESULTSOne hundred and sixty three and 1 157 oocytes of stage M II were injected respectively in the experimental group (15 cycles) and control group (100 cycles), and fertilization rate of experimental group was prominently higher than that of control group (84.05% vs 73.29%, P < 0.05), while implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate were of no difference from the control, respectively (23.07% vs 15.73%; 53.33% vs 37.00%, P > 0.05). The differences in newborn's weights between two groups were of no statistical significance (P > 0.05). In the experimental group, eight clinical pregnancies were achieved including 5 live deliveries and 3 ongoing pregnancies, 37 clinical pregnancies including 30 deliveries with only 1 fetal death, 3 ongoing pregnancies and 4 abortions in the control group. Neither vital pregnant combinations nor neonate malformations were found in both groups.

CONCLUSIONICSI using frozen-thawed sperm obtained by PESA is an economic effective and safe method to treat azoospermia. Recovering rates of frozen sperm form PESA should be further increased.

Azoospermia ; therapy ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate ; Retrospective Studies ; Semen Preservation ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; methods

BACKGROUNDRecent studies have shown that interleukin-3 receptor alpha (CD123) is highly expressed on leukemia stem cells of patients with acute myeloid leukemia, and is correlated with tumor load and poor prognosis. The expression of CD123 may also be high in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). In this study, the expression and clinical significance of CD123 and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) receptor (CD114) on the bone marrow cells of patients with MDS were investigated to explore the molecular marker of the malignant clone of MDS.

METHODSForty-two patients with MDS, who were diagnosed in the Hematological Department of General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from 2008 to 2009, and twelve normal controls were enrolled in this study. Fluorescence activiated cell sorter (FACS) was used to measure the expression of CD123 on CD34(+)CD38(-) cells and CD114 on CD34(+) cells of the bone marrow of these patients and controls and the clinical significance was analyzed. The expression of CD114 on CD123(+)CD34(+)CD38(-) cells was further measured to explore the molecular marker of the malignant clone in MDS.

RESULTSMDS patients displayed significantly higher proportion of CD34(+)CD38(-)/CD34(+) ((14.03 +/- 5.27)%) than normal controls ((7.70 +/- 4.36)%, P < 0.05). The expression rate of CD123(+)CD34(+)CD38(-)/CD34(+)CD38(-) was significantly higher in MDS patients ((48.39 +/- 28.15)%) than that in normal controls ((8.75 +/- 11.71)%, P < 0.01). The expression level of CD123 was significantly correlated with the proportion of bone marrow blasts (r = 0.457, P < 0.05). The expression rate of CD114(+)CD34(+)/CD34(+) was lower in MDS patients ((33.05 +/- 21.71)%) than that in normal controls ((38.99 +/- 19.07)%) but was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The expression of CD114 on CD123(+)CD34(+)CD38(-) cells ((34.82 +/- 29.58)%) was significantly lower than that on CD123(-)CD34(+)CD38(-) cells ((53.48 +/- 27.41)%) of MDS patients (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSMDS patients displayed higher proportion of CD34(+)CD38(-)/CD34(+) than normal controls. CD123 was highly expressed in the bone marrow of the patients with MDS, significantly correlated with the proportion of bone marrow blasts, and thus might be the marker of MDS malignant clone. CD123(+)CD34(+)CD38(-) cells exhibited lower expression of G-CSF receptors, which might partly explain why MDS clone responds worse to G-CSF in vitro and in vivo.

ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1 ; metabolism ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-3 Receptor alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; metabolism ; Receptors, Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; metabolism ; Young Adult